IVECO, the commercial vehicle brand of Iveco Group, and Plus announced on July 6, 2023, the start of operations of the IVECO S-Way truck equipped with PlusDrive, an advanced driver-assist solution based on Plus's open autonomy platform.
This significant development takes place on public roads in Germany, marking a major milestone for the partnership. Prior to this, a comprehensive testing and validation process was carried out, which consist of extensive closed-course testing, validation of previously gathered public road data, and thorough training of test drivers on the truck's advanced safety features. To ensure functional safety during public road testing, TÜV SÜD or the Technical Inspection Association conducted an evaluation of the safety concept.
“By making trucking safer, easier, and more sustainable, the new generation of powerful AI-based predictive safety technology like PlusDrive can help reduce the risk of accidents, improve fuel economy, enhance driver retention, and ease truck driver shortage across Europe. We are excited to enter this next phase of our partnership with Plus, and demonstrate the increasing maturity of our IVECO S-Way with PlusDrive through public road testing and commercial operations.”
As for the system which allows the S-Way to travel with no driver, the PlusDrive is an advanced autonomous driving software integrated with cutting-edge AI technology and a range of advanced sensors such as lidars (Light Detection and Ranging), radars, and cameras, offers drivers an unparalleled level of awareness regarding their vehicle's surroundings. The ongoing public road testing, which initially commenced in Germany, will extend to Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland in the coming months.
This expansion aims to gather valuable real-world data from a variety of road types and driving conditions across the region. The testing process will also showcase the capability of PlusDrive to safely and autonomously execute various driver-supervised maneuvers, including lane centering, cut-ins, lane merges, driver-initiated or system-suggested lane changes, and a traffic jam assist. There’s also a feature in the system called nudging, wherein if the truck senses a vehicle or object stopped at the shoulder, the vehicle will slightly adjust its direction of travel to provide a bit more room as it passes.
Speaking on this milestone, Shawn Kerrigan, COO and Co-founder at Plus, said: “We are proud of the hard work that the Iveco and Plus teams have poured into getting this innovative driving solution on public roads for testing. Some of the world’s largest fleets already use PlusDrive to deliver commercial freight. The sooner we can make this commercial product available to more fleets, the bigger impact we can have.”
